Hernial truss.



No. 655,365. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

H. M. JOHNSON.

HERNIAL TRUSS.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheetsshes! awwwboz Ne. 655,365. Patented Aug. 7, 1900.

H. M. JOHNSON.

HERNIAL 'TRUSS.

(Application filed Nov. 14, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$heei 2.

up W 1 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. JOHNSON, OF MINDEN, LOUISIANA.

HERNIAL TRUSS,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,365, dated AugustY, 1900.

Application filed November 14, 1899: SerialNo. 736,954. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minden, in the parish of Webster and State of Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful 1m provementsin Trusses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to hernial devices for relieving pain incident to rupture and enabling the latter to heal quickly.

The object of the invention is the provision of a truss capable of being thoroughly and easily cleaned, which is a desideratum from a sanitary standpoint, susceptible of exerting a constant and uniform pressure at all times whether the patient be in an erect, stooping,

or reclining posture, adapted to be worn with comparative ease and comfort, and which can be placed in position and removed with the greatest ease and despatoh possible.

The device is adapted for umbilical, in-

guinal, and all forms of hernia, and is so formed that a constant pressure will maintain it in position at all postures of the body and allow perfect freedom of movement of the patient without causing inconvenience or pain.

The invention consists, essentially, of a flat spring strip or support having its central portion widened and provided with the pad and having its end portions divergently curved and terminating in oppositely {de flected extremities,from which the body-strap proceeds.

The invention further consists of the bodystrap loosely connected with the pad -support, whereby provision is had for independent movement of the band to accommodate free movement of the body in every possible direction without disturbing the pad.

The invention also consistsof .the novel and characteristic structural features hereinafter more fully set forth, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the truss. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the spring-pad support, having open ings in its terminals to receive the parts of the body-strap. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an integral support and pad. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner of loosely connecting the body-strap with the pad-support. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing a metal strip forming a part of the body-strap. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of an end portion of the support, having terminal rollers for the strap to pass over.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The spring-support- 1 for the pad 2 is a flat strip of spring material, steel being preferred because of its high and resilient qualities combined with lightness and. cheapness. WVhen steel is used, it will be rendered noncorrodible in any of the well-known ways by having a protective coating applied thereto. The middle portion of the strip is somewhat widened, as shown at 3, and its end portions are divergent on curved lines, the extremities 4 projecting outward in opposite directions. The pad 2 is centrally located on the middle widened portion 3, so as to beheld in place opposite the hernia with a necessarilyetiual force.

The pad 2 may be separable and applied to the support 1 or may be formed therewith, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, by widening the central portion 3 and pressing it up into a concavo-convex form. The pressure exerted by the pad will depend mainly upon the strength and length of the spring-support and the degree of flexion of the divergent end portion 4. The pad when separate from the support will by preference be composed of two parts secured together,clamping the support between the waist. Vertical displacement of thetruss is prevented by means of the crotch-strap 7 the upper end of which extends in the rear of the pad and is attached to the edges of the body-strap and materially assists in holding it in place.

The truss will be made in difierent sizes and degrees of strength, according to the size and condition of the patient, so as to attain the ends aforesaid in as short a space of time as possible.

It is preferred in a majority of cases to have the body-strap loosely connected with the pad support. Particularly is this the case where the patient is required to move the body frequently and in various directions. To this end rollers 8 are located at the ends of the pad-support and the body-strap 6 passes thereover and encircles the body and is free to run over the rollers to adapt itself to the position and movement of the body without tending to shift the pad. The portion of the strap 6 opposite the pad-support passes in front of the latter and represses the ends 4 when the truss is worn. Any tendency to slack in the body-strap produced by respiration or from other cause is taken up by the end portions 4 of the pad-support springing outward, the rollers 8 running freely on the strap 6.

As shown in Fig. 4, the body-strap is continuous and may be of leather or a web or tape of textile; but it is preferred, as shown in Fig. 5, to have it composed of a metalstrip 9 and end pieces 10, of leather or webbing.

The metal strip 9 is a trifle longer than the pad-support when straightened and passes over the rollers S, and the end pieces 10 are looped into openings formed in the ends of the strip 9. It will thus be seen that the wear of the rollers Sis sustained by the metal portion of the body-strap.

Having thus described the invention, what 40 curved and its terminals outwardly deflected in opposite directions away from the body, a pad centrally disposed of the widened portion of the spring, a body-strap passing along and covering the inner side of the pad and encircling the fiat spring upon opposite'sides thereof, and a crotch-strap extending in the rear of the pad and attached to the upper and lower edge portions of the body-strap covering the front side of the pad, substantially as set forth.

2. In a truss, a pad-support having divergent spring end portions, and a body-strap having running connection with the terminal portions of the pad-support and passing in rear of the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a 'truss, a pad-support having divergent spring end portions, rollers at the ends of the pad-support, and a body-strap having running connection with the pad-support and passing over the terminal rollers thereof, substantially as specified.

l. In a truss, a pad-support having divergent spring end portions, rollers at the ends of the pad-support, and a body-strap, the same consisting of a metal strip passingloosely over the said rollers and in rear of the pad-support, and end pieces attached to the ends of the metal strip, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. JOHNSON. [L. 3.]

Witnesses:

LUTHER LONGRIN, O. M. RAvEUs. 

